'Google family' cells fight Parkinson's

Genia Brin, who has the degenerative neurological disorder, has donated skin cells from her arm to the effort, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

The cells were reprogrammed using stem cell techniques and turned into neurons.

"For the first time ever, we have them in a dish where we can study them directly. We can see exactly why they're dying, and test drugs in them," said William Langston of the Parkinson's Institute.

Most forms of the disease are not genetic, but one mutation accounts for much of familial Parkinson's disease. It was found in Brin using a test made by 23andMe, co-founded by her daughter-in-law, Anne Wojcicki. Brin had felt mild symptoms, and knew her aunt had been afflicted. Sergey Brin also has the markers.

The research was reported in the journal Cell by Stanford's Renee Reijo Pera.

Research had been difficult because only humans get Parkinson's and cells cannot be extracted from deep inside the brains of living patients.

But by inserting genes into skin cells, scientists can make them revert to an embryonic state and then turn them into neurons.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.